*Sigh* Sorry for taking so long to update, but I had this crazy thing called "college applications" get in the way. I hope I'll be forgiven because of sympathy, because y'all know what that's like. And if you don't...you will. Thankfully, I should be completely finished up with those this week.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.
She places a hand against her mouth tightly, leaning over the basin. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tries to breathe deeply through her mouth, wheezing slightly with the effort and feeling strangely breathless. Her bare skin feels cool against the marble of the sink, but she ignores the discomfort, instead gazing at herself through the mirror hung above.
Two months now she has gone without bleeding, after eleven months of trying and trying and trying. Although Toushiro asks her daily about her well-being and progress, she has yet to tell him of her first missed month in fear of it being a false conclusion – and now this is the second. She places a gentle hand against her abdomen, gazing down at it tenderly. Could this possibly be...?
Stepping back and ignoring her discarded robe on the floor by her feet, she turns to the side and evaluates herself in the mirror. With a delicate finger, she traces the bumps on her chest. Are they bigger? She has yet to see a significant change as of yet, but they feel heavier – or maybe that is her own wish. And her desire for her husband – her need to touch him and cuddle him and be near him – had been increasing every day, though she normally keeps a firm check on her intimate emotions, especially in public. He, of course, is more than happy to oblige when she asks and sees nothing wrong, but having been a nurse for so long, she can notice the signs. The nausea and fatigue have yet to set in because she has always had a strong bearing over her body, but she is staying wary of both.
The second her suspicions had set in not long after that first month, she had immediately made just the smallest shifts in her lifestyle. Matsumoto had gladly bought soft brushes and soothing cleansers on her request during one of her trips to town. She hadn't wanted to take any chances of harming herself or the delicate life inside of her in any way, so she'd kept applying pressure on her skin at a minimum, even when bathing. She'd also been keeping close tabs on her diet, eating just the right amount for a woman of her size and weight, though it had killed her to refuse those usual fourth helpings. Toushiro had thought that to be weird, but had yet to comment on it, knowing she had a right to her own devices. That keen sense of his sometimes makes her want to just kiss him senseless...Or maybe that is just the new changes in her body.
With a shaky sigh, she crouches down and pulls on her robe again, tying her sash with slippery fingers. Not long ago, she had contacted Soi-Fon from the Leoan army, as the woman is still on the Earth planet, though she had been stationed to a different continent after their attempted peace with the Scandinavian area. Though she loves Serra Leoa to bits, she also knows that they are too far behind the times technologically to provide her with all the comforts she needs while with child, as Earth would. And so, she had begrudgingly requested that the hardened female soldier please buy her a few pregnancy tests from her home planet and deliver them to the palace. Although she feels that her own musings are accurate, she will not take the chance of telling Toushiro and possibly crushing his hopes in the future without consulting more than her own opinion. Now all she has to do is wait.
Fully dressed, she exits the bathroom and her bedroom, deciding she would prefer to sit with in the gardens. Her gaze flickers out the large palace windows and, once catching sight of the bright sky and miles of greenery, the existence of her secret suddenly conjures up an absolutely enchanting image; she sees herself seated in one of the lawn chairs in the palace gardens, a small, drooling infant cradled in her arms, and watches as a delighted Toushiro lovingly chases after their toddler, who keeps crawling farther and farther into the trees. For the second time, a hand flies to her abdomen, and as she pats it, a smile touches her lips.
She has never been so happy with her cycle.
.. ღ ..
"Hikaru?"
"Don't come here!" he screeched, crawling closer towards the far end of the cell, where the shadows clouded his entire figure. Toushiro craned his neck with concern, trying to see through the cell bars and discover why his friend was acting so strange.
"Just leave!" Hikaru screamed.
Toushiro's brow furrowed for a second and he shook his head before picking at the lock. Once the door swung open, he strode in quickly, worry etched onto his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked carefully, slowing his steps as his eyes narrowed, attempting to peer through the darkness.
"How many times do I have to tell you to leave before you understand I don't want you here?" Hikaru snarled.
Toushiro recoiled, rather hurt by his harsh tone. But, pushing that aside, he marched towards him, determined to help his friend now that he finally had one.
"I refuse to leave until I know that you are all right," he insisted firmly. "Now, tell me what is wrong."
Hikaru scoffed. "Don't go all chummy on me now," he said sarcastically. "We're just conditional friends, remember? You're only supposed to visit, but I don't want you here, so you're off the hook. In fact, don't come back for the rest of the week. Buh-bye."
Toushiro didn't miss the slight tremors in his voice as he tried to keep up the indifferent, mocking front. Ignoring his protests, he finally marched straight into the shadows, crouching to examine him closely. What he saw, however, sent him into a panic.
"Hikaru. Blood!" He gaped at the smeared red on the floor, and his eyes followed the trail to his friend's stained clothing. "From your trousers?"
Hikaru immediately turned a deep pink. He sucked in a deep breath, preparing himself for a harsh chew out of some sort. But it never came. When he dared to crack open one eye and peek at him, he realized to his absolute astonishment that the usually hot-headed prisoner had not turned pink from anger, but from…embarrassment? Hikaru was blushing! For some reason, it made him feel hot and bothered, too.
"I-It's nothing to w-worry about," Hikaru stuttered, refusing to meet his eyes. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, looking off to the side. "It started this morning. Probably just an old wound, or something,"
"But, then we have to get it tended to right away," Toushiro exclaimed. After a moment's thought, he carefully slipped off the royal haori he wore atop his clothing and held it out to him. "We can use this for temporary bandages," he explained. "Here. Remove your trousers."
Well, Hikaru turned absolutely red at that. "What?" he squawked, his eyes popping out.
"Your bottoms," Toushiro attempted again, sliding a little closer and reaching out his hands. "Let me see."
"You…you pervert!" the prisoner screeched, desperately kicking his legs to slide farther back. His cheeks were tinted, his eyes boring into his.
Toushiro was taken aback. "How does attempting to help my friend make me a lecher?" he demanded angrily. He had only been trying to help.
"I'll tell you why!" Hikaru roared, and his face twisted into shame and rage. "'Cause I'm a girl, damn it! Now, give me that" – she snatched the haori from his hands roughly – "and turn around!" He gabbed him roughly by the shoulders and forcefully spun him to face the opposite wall. Both their faces were burning furiously.
Toushiro knew about female cycles – the times when they bled because they had not been with child. His maid, Matsumoto, frequently complained about hers to avoid work, enjoying that it made him squeamish. He had just never…witnessed one. And he had never wanted to.
To his horror, he felt an intense heat rise to his neck as he heard Hikaru rip his haori into bandages, followed by rustling sounds. Oh, good Lord! He was in the same room as a woman who had removed her trousers! He did not know hi –her –that well.
"Just don't look," Hikaru warned suddenly, and he had to force himself not to jump. He did, however, feel his face flinch.
Mumbling incoherent words and hoping that would suffice for her, he placed a hand over his steaming face. Thankfully, she didn't say anything more to him. But, too soon for his health, she was informing him that she was done.
"You can turn around now," she mumbled, scuffing her toe against the ground in shame. Her soiled trousers had been discarded, and she had used his covering to tie a makeshift skirt to her hips. A blush blossomed on his cheeks as he eyed her skinny legs – prickly from her time in prison and depraved of any meat, but definitely female.
He noticed pieces of his haori still lying in the corner and swallowed a thick lump forming in his throat as he tried not to think about exactly where the remainder rested.
"So..." he began awkwardly, "you are a woman?"
She rolled her eyes. "I already said that, didn't I?" she snapped.
His eyes flashed. "Do not speak to me that way after all the lies you've fed me," he thundered. "I will not just take this lightly -"
"I never lied to you!" she argued. "I never said I was a man; you just assumed!"
"And yet you felt no need to correct me," he retorted icily.
"Oh, of course the mighty Prince was no way in the wrong," she drawled sarcastically. "If it was anyone's fault, it was someone below him, huh? You know what, Toushiro? Just go." Huffing, she crossed her arms and looked away.
Toushiro felt a little embarrassed when he realized that he was always leaving the cell by stomping away in a fury, but that's what he did again. He didn't have to listen to this , and if she didn't want him around – fine. However, though he marched straight past the tattered clothing on the ground, his anger sizzled out and paused when he was standing directly beside her.
"I'll, uh, bring you some fresh bandages tomorrow," he mumbled, his face burning.
"Thanks," she muttered, equally embarrassed.
And then he left as fast as he could while still maintaining just the slightest air of dignity.
.. ღ ..
"I can't believe you've been making friends behind my back!" Matsumoto squealed. "I never thought I'd see the day."
"Matsumoto," he reprimanded, "I've already told you about the special circumstances regarding this matter, so do not take it lightly." His eyes flickered around nervously as he eyed their surroundings. "And keep your voice down," he hissed. "We do not need the guards catching us."
Nodding seriously, his maid tightened the hold she had on the basket clutched to her chest. She made the motion of a zipper running across her lips, but there was still an excited bounce to her steps.
Immediately after returning from Hikaru's cell the previous day, he'd sought her out. There was no one else he could trust to keep his secret for him...Well, actually, he still wasn't sure he could trust her either to keep her mouth shut completely during her drunken stupors, but she was the best choice he had. She'd thought the story was so damn hilarious, though. She'd laughed so hard as he had recounted the revealing of her true gender that she'd rolled off the bed, laughing even after she'd painfully thudded to the floor.
"That's so awkward!" she'd wheezed. "I can't b-believe y-you..." That was all she'd managed before she'd snorted into laughter again. But, she'd sobered up when he'd asked her of his favor; he knew nothing extensive about females and their...needs...and so he needed an experienced woman to help the poor girl trapped in that cell. Her delicate situation required them to be serious, as this could be both embarrassing and dangerous.
"Tell me, Hitsugaya-sama," she said slyly now as they trudged towards the back entrance of the prison. "Is she pretty?"
He froze at the question. Hikaru...pretty? He'd never thought about it. She'd always been a boy in his eyes, so of course he'd never looked at her that way. And maybe the fact that he'd never been the wiser was answer enough, though he felt horrible just thinking it.
"She's all right," he replied awkwardly, resuming his walk with unease. What else was he supposed to say without completely humiliating her? Matsumoto, however, seemed to realize his thoughts and the error in her question, so she just pursed her lips and nodded. He was beyond relieved that she had enough tact to drop it.
"It's through here," he informed the maid gruffly, sliding through the back door of the prison – the same door he had taken Hikaru through that day he'd given his friend the present of sunlight. That hadn't been the only time, either. Matsumoto followed him quietly, going as far as to stand on the very tips of her toes. He rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm, but didn't berate her for it – being over cautious was a good thing in this situation.
When they arrived at that same small cell he had grown familiar with, he peered through the darkness, as usual. There she was, seated in one of the corners with her knees drawn to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She looked exhausted, and he wondered whether her worrying had prevented her from getting any sleep the previous night.
He coughed to announce his presence.
"Toushiro?" she questioned, snapping her head up and leaning her face out to peer at him.
He nodded. "How are you doing?" he asked, and then cringed. Was that what he was supposed to ask? Apparently not, as Hikaru rolled her eyes heavily.
"What do you think?" she snapped. Beside him, Matsumoto giggled, and the prisoner immediately set her sights on the woman.
"Who's she?" she demanded angrily, suddenly defensive. It was obvious she hadn't expected him to tell anyone.
"This is Matsumoto," he introduced her. "She's my maid."
Her eyes immediately flew to the overly large chest falling out of the woman's top, and when her eyes snapped back to him, there was a disgust in her sneer. He felt heat flame up his face. It wasn't like that!
"She's just my maid," he defended himself. "And she'll help you."
Hikaru threw her a dirty look, and Matsumoto deflated slightly under it.
"No thanks," the prisoner sneered. "I don't need some floozy's help. Just go."
He felt rage creep up his spine. "You will not speak to Matsumoto that way," he hissed dangerously. Both women looked at him in surprise, but he continued. "You will not speak to her, period. Just keep your mouth shut and let her do her job."
He nodded over to the stunned maid, beckoning her over. She broke out of her trance and scurried over to the entrance of the cell. His hands glowed green as they normally did when he visited, and the cell door swung open.
"I'll be waiting outside," he said, and rushed out. Closing his eyes, he ignored the harsh cries of, "Hey, get off me, you bimbo!" and Matsumoto's protests. It wouldn't be wise to get into a women's squabble. With determination, he shut the door behind him and tried to pretend he had never heard their arguing. He just hoped Matsumoto would forgive him for this.
He stood outside, settling down under the shade of a tree as he waited for his maid to appear once again. The door stood still, however, and began fidgeting as he waited. A few minutes passed by, and then more, and then more...
Suddenly, he started to grow anxious. What could possibly be taking her so long? It couldn't take so long to change bandages, could it? Granted, he didn't know much about women and their needs, but the maids in his palace were always scurrying about, never letting anything delay their tasks. And Hikaru was very vicious. As he was contemplating going in there himself and risking complete humiliation from the scene he could possibly see, the door swung open. A haggard looking Matsumoto stumbled out, her basket in her hand, though she looked pleased with herself.
"All done!" she announced. "Kami, she's a handful." And then she winked suggestively at him. "But definitely a girl."
He felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. Damn Matsumoto! She always knew how to make him squirm. Trying to save face, he cleared his throat loudly and took a closer look at her instead.
"Are those...bite marks?" he questioned with incredulity.
She blinked. "...Oh! Yes." She held up her arm for emphasis. "She's a feisty one all right. But we're all done. Just don't bring me back here, 'kay?"
He groaned and rubbed at his eyes but still nodded. "Shall we get going, then?"
She looked at him surprise. "Don't you want to go visit with your friend?"
His brows furrowed. He still hadn't let go of her degrading comments toward Matsumoto. "No," he finally said, beginning the walk up to the palace as the maid rushed after him. "I've had enough of her for today."
.. ღ ..
"I could never get enough of you..."
"Oh, Aito-kun..."
The two kiss passionately, and Orihime places a tissue against her nose and blows hard. A few tears leak from her red eyes as she dabs at them.
"How wonderful," she says with a sniffle. "A happy ending."
He sits at her side, stiff and unhappy. Not even two hours ago, Orihime had voiced her boredom, and of course the maid had speedily procured the most mushy and gooey-romantic book she had in her possession. And now she sits on the bed with them, reading the last of its pages to an eager and not so eager audience. He has no choice but to endure, as neither woman seems willing to do much else but blubber over the crap content of their novel.
"Don't you think so, Ulquiorra-san?" Orihime asks excitedly, turning to him and smiling. Oh, great. She just has to bring him into this.
He only looks at her blankly, refusing to voice his opinions. She purses her lips, immediately understanding his true feelings from his lack of a reaction, and turns away to act as if the question had never been asked. He appreciates it.
"Well, I think that was a wonderful bedtime story," she says cheerfully to Matsumoto, who beams. "You'll have to read to us again sometime. Perhaps...perhaps something with a bit more action, to suit Ulquiorra-san's tastes?" she suggests quietly, shyly.
The maid frowns. "I don't know if I have any of those," she says thoughtfully, scratching her head. "I'd have to check."
Inoue nods enthusiastically. "Maybe Miss Karin would like to hear one as well," she says.
Matsumoto chuckles. "Maybe. They say the arts are wonderful for a baby, and I'm sure Hitsugaya-sama would love to have her off of his hands now that's she's hit the eighth month mark and can't control her mood swings once again."
Orihime makes a face. "Don't say it like that. That sounds awful."
The maid laughs heartily. "Well, I didn't mean it like that, so you needn't worry. I'm only saying that I'm sure he's got his hands full."
She giggles in return. "I've never thought he particularly minded," she jokes. "But maybe you're right. We'll have to be sure to invite her next time. Right, Ulquiorra-san?"
He only stares blankly at her again, and she grimaces and takes his hand in her own, realizing he is really not happy right now. Matsumoto eyes their joined hands with a mischievous little smile, obviously enjoying the show of affection. He glares at the woman.
"Well, I'll be heading out, then," she states quickly, catching sight of his glower. "Goodnight, Miss Orihime, Ulquiorra-san." The door snap shuts behind her before the two can blink.
"That was odd," Orihime comments. He grunts but does not reply, instead squeezing her hand tighter. She blushes at the gesture, still unused to him finally returning her small shows of affection. It had taken months of pursuing him for them to reach this stage. She had never thought herself so bold before, but she'd been unwilling to let him slip through her fingers.
"Do you think Miss Karin's baby will be all right?" she asks, trying to act like she is not bothered one bit by the heat she can feel creeping up her neck. "I mean, Serra Leoa doesn't have medical advancements. On Earth a birth is sanitary and safe."
"Our people have our own way of ensuring a baby's security," he replies with his monotone. "Otherwise, we would have been extinct long ago. Healers working at this palace have delivered royal babies for generations, and they've all been healthy. Hitsugaya-sama is an example."
"But..." She bites her lip. "He had...white hair."
"That was a trait passed down from his family, not some birthing defect as you are thinking," he reassures her.
She nods happily, content with the answer. "I wonder what the baby will look like." Putting a finger to her lips, she tries to ponder the appearance of the newborn. However, a sudden thought hits her instead, and she gasps. "This will be the first Leoan-human baby, won't it?" she realizes.
"Yes," he answers, grimacing at the foreign thought.
She squeals, clapping her hands joyfully. "Oh, how wonderful! I can't wait. This will show the world that the Leoans and humans can get along!"
"Don't forget," he cuts across, "that some might call the queen biased."
She waves an airy hand. "She's a human too, isn't she?" she reasons. "How can she be biased against anyone when she is human and her husband is a Leoan? If anything, she's on both sides." She pauses to think and then grins up at him happily, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Actually, now, I guess I am too."
"Are you really no longer scared of us?" he wants to know.
Grinning, she shakes her head. "And I really think that the rest of Earth won't be either, if they only got to know you."
"Our history with them hasn't been very convincing," he points out. "They might only view this baby as a fluke of sorts – an oddity."
"Well then," she says furiously, "we just need another Leoan-human baby to prove -" She cuts herself off. Looking at him and then down at herself, she realizes she is the only other human on this planet and the implications of her words, and then flushes furiously. "I didn't mean it like that!" she cries, waving her arms in front of her in defense.
He does not reply, enjoying her floundering. Instead, he takes her hand again and takes note of the weariness in her eyes. "Orihime," he says, "we should be getting ready to...sleep."
He purposely substitutes another word for "bed" for her sake.
Letting go of her hand, he stands up promptly and briskly strides towards the door. She follows after him, leaning in the doorway as he exits and then turns to face her.
She smiles. "Sleep well."
"You too," he returns stoically. And then, he leans down and kisses her cheek, striding away soon after and leaving her with a furious blush on her cheeks.
.. ღ ..
It took him days to finally feel like he could civilly visit her again. By that time, Matsumoto had pestered him to go about five times a day, and he was reaching the breaking point of his anger as he trudged down the palace halls and through the thickly populated gardens. Grumbling, he strode through the prison door.
"How would you feel about going to get lunch?" he heard a voice from inside, and he suddenly held his breath and dove behind a wall. There were guards here! They were supposed to be on their break by now!
"Ikkaku," someone drawled, "we have a duty to complete. You know Aizen-sama wants us to increase security here for these next couple of months."
"But I'm hungry," the one named Ikkaku grumbled.
"When are you not hungry?" the other one snapped.
"When I've eaten," was the snide remark. "We haven't had a break all morning. Can't we go for just a little while? This is usually our lunch break."
His companion sighed deeply. "Fine. But if we go, you'll have to buy extra and bring it back with you. We can't go running off to eat every time you get hungry or else we'd never be here. And I don't need Aizen-sama thinking we're disobeying his orders."
His voice drifted down the hall as the two made their way to the entrance at the other end of the hall. The heavy door scraped against the floor as it opened and then clanged shut.
Toushiro let out the breath he had been holding, peeking out from his hiding place. His eyebrows furrowed as he thought about what he had heard. Disregarding the pleas for lunch, he couldn't help but ponder over his stepfather's orders. What need could he have for increasing security? Until recently, it had been very relaxed, allowing him to sneak in and out without getting detected. Unless...
His heart clenched in fear. Unless more prisoners were coming. Unless they were finally ready to do something with the prisoners. Unless Hikaru would soon be taken away from him, put to use as some sort of scapegoat in the king's plans. That was what always happened to prisoners around here, to showcase the kingdom's powers. His head swirled with the memories of cruel beatings and hangings and jeering.
Feeling sick to his stomach as an image of Hikaru's decapitated head rolled through his mind, he scurried over to the girl's prison. Peering in, he saw her seated against the wall in the same pose she had been when they had first met – when he had mistaken her for an arrogant man. There were no bandages in sight now, and he knew Matsumoto had made countless visits to clean her up during her cycle, despite the outcome of the first visit. He blushed furiously as he realized she was now wearing one of his pants, faded from the years and matching the color her own clothes had been before they were defiled.
"So you finally decided to show up, huh?" she spat out in a rough voice, turning her head to glare at him. Her lips were puckered as if she had tasted something sour. It made her sharp nose wrinkle in a rather cute manner.
He cleared his throat. "I thought it might give you enough time to cool off." As he said this, he warily eyed her figure, trying to see any signs of scratches or scars, to check if Aizen had tried anything on her yet. She seemed the same, albeit a little dirtier.
"Cool off?" she repeated with a scoff. "Me? Just what is that supposed to mean? Weren't you the one who threw a bitchy hissy fit and ignored me for the past week?"
"I would not have had to throw a...hissy fit...if you had not been so disrespectful to Matsumoto," he replied coldly.
She smirked. "Oops, my mistake. Didn't know your whore meant so much to you."
His eyes flashed dangerously. "Shut your fucking mouth," he snarled. "You will not speak of her that way after she has helped you all this week. I'll cut out that foul tongue of yours next time."
She coolly gazed away, ignoring his heavy breathing. "Fine," she said with a sniff. "She was helpful enough. I'll apologize next time I see her if it means that much to you, but don't expect me to watch my mouth every time you don't like something I have to say."
He huffed. "I'm not asking you to change," he argued. "But she's like my...second mother."
Something flickered through her eyes at those words, passing so quickly that he hardly had time to decipher it, but it looked like guilt. The subject of mothers had hit her hard, right in her conscience.
"All right, all right," she snapped, trying to pass off that look. "I got it. An apology's at the top of my list."
He relaxed. "Good." Feeling a tad more cheerful, he picked the lock and strode in, taking a seat next to her. "Now that I remember," he continued, pressing his lips into a thin, grim line, "do you know anything about the guards changing their schedules? Has anything changed recently?"
She scowled. "Well, Aizen came here not long ago. Lucky for that maid of yours she'd slipped out right before, or he would have caught her in my cell."
"Did he do anything?" he asked cautiously.
"Only looked around a bit," she recalled. "Had that pompous look on his face too. Then he took the guards out to talk to 'em." She glanced at him sharply. "Do you know something?"
"No," he replied, shaking his head thoughtfully. "But be on the lookout. He might be up to something."
She nodded solemnly. "He's such an asshole," she muttered.
"A first class bastard," he agreed.
She looked at him in surprise. "You think so too?" she asked, and then beamed at him widely.
He licked his lips and nodded. "I hate him," he added bitterly.
She nodded along in agreement. "He thinks he's the greatest man to ever live, but he's just an ass," she spat out.
"He thinks he is the most intelligent being to ever roam the universe, but he is only an idiot."
"He thinks he's some powerful God, but I bet we could take him." She punched her fists at an imaginary opponent.
"He thinks he is all-knowing, but we are tricking him right under his watch."
She smirked. "We are, aren't we?" And then she laughed loudly, though it came out a little hoarse. "Well, that just goes to show how "great" he really is."
"Absolutely."
What a way to bond! But suddenly, he didn't mind sitting next to her, and she didn't seem to either. They grinned over at each other. Then, slowly, her face fell, and she hung her head to let her hair fall in front of her face.
"Hey, Toushiro?" she muttered in a low voice. "...I'm sorry, okay?"
He looked at her in surprise.
"For lying to you, I mean," she clarified. Then, she huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, technically, I didn't lie to you. You just assumed. But I guess I didn't really try too hard to correct you. Though I didn't mean for you to find out that way...Well, okay. I didn't mean for you to find out at all. But now that you have, I guess I do sort of owe you an apology for tricking you. So, I guess I -"
"Hikaru," he cut across her. She abruptly cut off her rambling and looked at him hopefully. "It...It's all right," he decided, letting his features soften just a little.
Her eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Really," he confirmed, nodding. "Changing your gender does not change you. If you still wish it, I would be honored to keep visiting you."
She beamed brightly. "Of course! Thanks, Toushiro." She looked down suddenly."...Still, sorry for lying to you for all this time, though."
He shook his head. "There is no need to apologize to me anymore, Hikaru. I do not mind it any longer. After all, there are no more secrets between us, correct?"
"Righ -" She stopped mid sentence, clapping her hands over her mouth as something occurred to her. When she slowly pulled them away, he saw the sheepish grin covering her lips. "Oops," she said. "There's just one little thing I forgot to mention." He looked at her curiously – and a little cautiously – and she waved an airy hand, looking like she was trying her best to be casual. "No need to look so worried. It's nothing really major."
She extended her palm for a handshake and coughed awkwardly. "Nice to meet you. My real name's Karin."
So, I didn't want to go with the cliché where the guy falls in love with the girl in her disguise, and then drives himself crazy worrying he's gay :P Though it can be cute, there are already plenty of stories out there like that. Besides, her disguise was good enough to fool everyone in the army, so I don't think it would be logical for Toushiro to start noticing her feminine side after only a month...Well, that's just my view, anyway. And we all know they'll fall in love eventually :D Just be patient!
Oh, and I just wanted to mention one last thing. I hope you guys remember that this story is told in little snapshots. Though I've been going in order for a while, the present storyline is the same. There are scenes in the same chapter that take place at different times. I just wanted to clear that up, because the present timeline might be getting slightly contorted for a few of the future chapters.